If you ran for SU President what would you focus on?

spagboll

I'd be for replicating the sports cafe on a bigger scale in the main restaurant

Selling cans in the bar like the pav in trinity do, beer garden, explore the potential to sell the rights of selling beer to diageo (etc) to reduce cost, have the main bar for the pop scene and the forum when/if it reopens for live music/alternative or vice versa

longer library opening hours

reduced printing costs, more computers

less spent on the SU and class rep training

explore how students feel about including gym membership as a reduced cost as part of capitation, similar idea with Dublin bus to provide cheap (but mandatory) bus passes for all students, in a perfect world these would be opt in/opt out schemes

Walnut.

Quite simply - the internet in the library. I would guarantee everyone an internet connection.

Also I would do what Lannoye is doing and put USI membership to a referendum since it's taking over 100k of the UCDSU budget.

More of an ENTS thing, but I'd stop having sh*t bands in the bar and instead use the money to make pints cheaper, I assume many of the smaller events are run at a loss.

Fad

Walnut. wrote: »

Also I would do what Lannoye is doing and put USI membership to a referendum since it's taking over 100k of the UCDSU budget.

As Pat De Brún explained very clearly, when UCDSU joined USI, the amount of money received by the SU per person increased to cover the affiliation cost, when the affiliation fee rose, the money received increased again. And if UCDSU chose to dissociate from USI, there's a very high chance that the SU will stop receiving that money.

So basically, there is no real disadvantage to being a member of USI...

I dont like the vast majority of it, but I'm slowly beginning to think the vast majority of its detractors haven't a clue what they're talking about.

kev9100

Try and get more people involved in UCD life. There is a huge proportion of students who feel alienated and who should be reached out to.

Walnut.

Fad wrote: »

As Pat De Brún explained very clearly, when UCDSU joined USI, the amount of money received by the SU per person increased to cover the affiliation cost, when the affiliation fee rose, the money received increased again. And if UCDSU chose to dissociate from USI, there's a very high chance that the SU will stop receiving that money.

So basically, there is no real disadvantage to being a member of USI...

I dont like the vast majority of it, but I'm slowly beginning to think the vast majority of its detractors haven't a clue what they're talking about.

Well thanks but with no disrespect, I don't involve myself too much in student politics (clearly unlike your informed self) to have heard Pat de Brun speak on this matter. All I've heard is Lannoye lecture addressing on it.

Perhaps I should become more of a USDSU participant

RandolphEsq

kev9100 wrote: »

Try and get more people involved in UCD life. There is a huge proportion of students who feel alienated and who should be reached out to.

This, as a task, is huge. But so necessary. There isn't much of a campus community vibe. Except for studying in the library, there is no draw to being on campus outside of lectures. No way to meet people randomly. "Sports and societies"; besides for those there isn't much.

Killer Pigeon

I'd do what every other SU President does;

Complain about everything...
... Do nothing.

errlloyd

To clear up this USI thing.

We pay €5 in our fees to USI, it gets added on, per person. Were we to leave USI we would simply not have to pay this €5 anymore. I assume UCDSU could up their fees from (27 I think) to 32, or something similar, but sure they could do that anyway.

USI should not be put on the UCDSU budget.

pljudge321

errlloyd wrote: »

To clear up this USI thing.

We pay €5 in our fees to USI, it gets added on, per person. Were we to leave USI we would simply not have to pay this €5 anymore. I assume UCDSU could up their fees from (27 I think) to 32, or something similar, but sure they could do that anyway.

USI should not be put on the UCDSU budget.

Apart from the money issue, I have a issues with my compulsory membership, by extension, of a union which claims to represent me, but does not have any directly elected officers or any sort of democratic mandate to do so.

dyl10

Fad wrote: »

As Pat De Brún explained very clearly, when UCDSU joined USI, the amount of money received by the SU per person increased to cover the affiliation cost, when the affiliation fee rose, the money received increased again. And if UCDSU chose to dissociate from USI, there's a very high chance that the SU will stop receiving that money.

Well, the obvious question is; where did the increases in money come from?

I can't think of an answer that would justify such a poorly thought-out argument by Pat De Brun as the income sources could only realistically be one of the following:
1. The Students
2. The University budget
3. The Tax payer

If the answer is any of the above, then the argument for opting out of the USI to save money is still 100% legitimate and the argument put forward by Pat De Brun actually doesn't make any sense, except for people who are easily confused by numbers and want to vote for the UCDSU clique anyway.

errlloyd

pljudge321 wrote: »

Apart from the money issue, I have a issues with my compulsory membership, by extension, of a union which claims to represent me, but does not have any directly elected officers or any sort of democratic mandate to do so.

Right well on that. (And Believe me I have issues with USI)

Trinity allows one to opt out of USI without opting out of TCDSU. In UCD you can opt out of USI only after opting out of UCDSU. The issue I have found is that, that would be selfish. Because opting out would get you the all the benefits of a national body which campaigns against things like fees, without the cost.

If on the other hand you believe in fees or contradict USI on anything else major, then of course by all means opt out.

As for democratic elections, it kind of is democratic. They are appointed at USI congress by a vote, UCDSU sent 25 delegates this year to USI congress. Any student could apply to be a delegate and as far as I am aware, anyone who applied was sent this year. Tbh if they ran a USI wide election across the 250,000 or so students who are members of USI it would cost an awful lot of money. Lets assume you just proportionally increase the cost of UCDSU elections for the amount of people, and then half it to generously account for economics of scale.

250,000 / 22,000 = 12ish. 580 * 12ish = 5900ish / 2 = 2950ish x like 8 for the amount of positions, in fact I think its more then 8. Like you're talking upwards of 25k, an incredibly stressful campaign and just general annoyance.

parker kent

There are a lot of impractical things being suggested. No SU president can guarantee everyone an internet connection in the library, nor can they have increased opening hours. Well unless you find a commercially viable oil well under the lake to pay for it.

I do agree with some people that the priority for the SU should be getting more people in student life. They are involved in far too much faux-political BS and there is too much money wasted on needless things. Suit them better to make sure that everybody has a chance to get involved in campus life. As in less parties in D2 that a tiny percentage go to and more events (not just alcohol based stuff either) on campus.

And as always, no more pointless píss ups for the SU under the guise of "training". And as is mentioned in Dyl10's thread elsewhere, I've been suggesting web voting instead of the godawful days of voting in the various buildings around campus. Polling day is one of the worst days on campus and getting hassled by the "have you voted? You should vote for Mr X, he's sooo awesome!!" questions is extremely annoying! I think as many (possibly more) would vote if it were online.

HavingCrack

RandolphEsq wrote: »

This, as a task, is huge. But so necessary. There isn't much of a campus community vibe. Except for studying in the library, there is no draw to being on campus outside of lectures. No way to meet people randomly. "Sports and societies"; besides for those there isn't much.

Yeah I agree on this one. Organising 'nights' in D2 and Tripod doesn't count as getting people involved. For a start they're not even on campus so you lose any real UCD vibe. Secondly, they're in a ****ing nightclub, who makes proper friends in nightclubs. I think the Thursday Night Late Bars are a step in the right direction but a lot more is needed.

Possibly something similar to the SU bars in most of the UK colleges is a runner. Lower the cost of pints and soft drinks to a reasonable level, say 2.50 or 3 euro max for pints and 1 euro for cokes etc (we're students ffs, have student friendly prices) have a late bar 2 times a week (to begin with).

A big issue with UCD is simply the amount of Dublin students who go there. A large amount of them (not all clearly) already have a group of school friends and make very little effort to get to know new people. This is very dis similar to the UK, Canada or the US for example where moving away for college is much more common than staying at home. It actually is a pretty big obstacle to creating 'university spirit'. You can laugh if you want but when you see 40,000 plus students cheering on UC Berkelely against Stanford in American football you can't deny that people are proud of their universities and have a connection that seems to be lacking in Ireland.

We also need an SU run restaurant facility/canteen with reasonable priced food. Arts Cafe, Elements, Restaurant etc. are complete rip offs. They're charging prices equal to and exceeding Dublin city centre prices.

I know this might be a bit preachy but try to encourage students to remember you're at college for an education, not just to have a great time getting drunk and getting laid. Sure that's important but when you see lectures constantly half empty and most students only having between 12-20 hours a week there's something wrong with priorities. If you can't be arsed interacting with your class in lectures will you ever bother outside of it?

I'm sure I have more concrete idea's so I'll get back to you.